Twitter Hacker Pleads Guilty to Role in Cyber Stalking and Computer Hacking

A UK Citizen’s Guilty Plea in a Bitcoin Scheme

San Francisco, A UK citizen accused of hacking Twitter accounts as part of a Bitcoin scheme has pleaded guilty to his role in cyber stalking and computer hacking that targeted numerous high-profile social media accounts, including the July 2020 Twitter hack.

The Accused: Joseph James O’Connor

Joseph James O’Connor, a.k.a. PlugwalkJoe, 23, was extradited to the US from Spain last month, where he awaited trial for harassing, threatening, and extorting his victims.

The First Arrest

According to Gizmodo, the first time O’Connor was arrested was in 2021 for attempting to take control of 130 Twitter accounts, including US President Joe Biden, American socialite & model Kim Kardashian, and Tesla & Twitter CEO Elon Musk.

The July 2020 Twitter Hack

In July 2020, O’Connor wrote on Biden’s account, "All Bitcoin sent to the address below will be sent back double! If you send $1,000, I will send back $2,000. Only doing this for 30 minutes. Enjoy!" Twitter then responded by deactivating all verified accounts and disabling the tweet feature in an attempt to target the hackers.

Investigation Findings

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI investigation found that O’Connor and his co-conspirators were able to transfer control of some Twitter accounts to unauthorized users for a fee. The investigation also uncovered that in certain instances, the group exploited the control they had over certain Twitter accounts for personal gain, and engaged in fraudulent activities that impacted other users of the platform.

O’Connor’s Plea

As part of his guilty plea, O’Connor has agreed to pay restitution to all of the victims and forfeit just over $7,94,000. His sentencing is scheduled for June 23 in a district court in New York.

Assistant Attorney General’s Statement

"Like many criminal actors, O’Connor tried to stay anonymous by using a computer to hide behind stealth accounts and aliases from outside the US. But this plea shows that our investigators and prosecutors will identify, locate, and bring to justice such criminals to ensure they face the consequences for their crimes," Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A Polite, Jr of the DOJ’s Criminal Division said in a statement.

Published On

Published On May 13, 2023 at 09:09 AM IST

Category Most Read Placement

Category Most Read Placement

Comment Section

Comment Section

Subscription-in-Article

Subscription-in-Article

Top Newsletter Subscription Section

Top Newsletter Subscription Section

App Download Section

App Download Section